Showing posts with label USyd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USyd. Show all posts
Friday, August 2, 2013
USyd 2014 entry local applicant interview offers out.
It seems like today the USyd 2014 entry local interview offers are out. It seems like the cutoff was 68 this year. If you have an interview, good luck with it.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
USyd 2013 entry: some CSP medicine offers released
This evening, it seems like some CSP offers were released for USyd medicine for 2013 entry. However, no BMP offers seem to have been noted on the Paging Dr Forum as yet, and no unsuccessful letters have been sent to local applicants either.
Congratulations if you received a CSP offer. Good luck if you are still waiting.
Meanwhile, I've got an 8 am lecture tomorrow... and a test in just under 3 days. Still more lectures to revise...
Congratulations if you received a CSP offer. Good luck if you are still waiting.
Meanwhile, I've got an 8 am lecture tomorrow... and a test in just under 3 days. Still more lectures to revise...
Friday, August 3, 2012
USyd interview offers for 2013 entry released today
Today the interview offers for USyd for local students for medicine and dentistry 2013 entry were released. From the Paging Dr Forum, it seems like the GAMSAT cutoff for non-rural locals for medicine interviews was 67; the same as for 2012 entry.
Good luck for your interview if you got one!
Good luck for your interview if you got one!
Friday, July 6, 2012
UniMelb undergraduate results out by today (Semester 1, 2012)
Today is the day that Semester 1, 2012 results for UniMelb are supposed to be released by for undergraduate students. For anyone reading who is studying at university, I hope you have done well in your results in the semester which has just gone by.
For those applying to medicine in most unis, now that the semester 1 results are released, the next major event (other than semester 2 itself) is the interview offer date, and then the interview date. If applying to UQ as a first preference, then the next event will hopefully be an offer. It seems like for locals applying to GEMSAS, the interview offers or UQ place offers should be released on 29 August, and for USyd it will be 6 August.
For those applying to medicine in most unis, now that the semester 1 results are released, the next major event (other than semester 2 itself) is the interview offer date, and then the interview date. If applying to UQ as a first preference, then the next event will hopefully be an offer. It seems like for locals applying to GEMSAS, the interview offers or UQ place offers should be released on 29 August, and for USyd it will be 6 August.
Monday, December 12, 2011
UQ admission irregularity
Recently it has been in the news that a relative of Vice Chancellor Paul Greenfield was accepted into a program without satisfying the same requirements of other applicants. On the 9th of December, UQ released a memorandum detailing the offers of undergraduate-entry MBBS applicants (which I read from Paging Dr), and it included talk of the irregularity. http://www.uq.edu.au/about/planning-docs/2011-mbbs-program-admissions/
Regarding the irregularity itself, it seems like the Vice Chancellor and his deputy have both paid the price and stood down. Then there is debate on whether the relative who was given the irregular offer should keep their place or not. Personally, I don't have a very strong view on this.
In that memorandum, there was also noticeably a mention of people with Vice Chancellor scholarships (by achieving an ATAR of 99.95; the highest possible rank) who did not do well on the UMAT but still got irregular offers. This has never been the official policy of UQ to give such offers in such circumstances, but it should be noted that this is very similar to what is done in Melbourne (needing 99.90 and above) and USyd (needing 99.95). The main difference between Melb and USyd compared to UQ is just that UQ didn't interview for this, but UQ doesn't interview anyone except ATSI applicants anyway. It does raise eyebrows when UQ does things not in their official policy though, and it seems like they won't be doing such a thing next year. I think they could be justified if they made giving medicine places to people with Vice Chancellor scholarships regardless of UMAT official policy though.
This raises another issue. Is using UMAT a good system to select applicants? I personally do not think so, and so far the evidence seems to suggest that UMAT doesn't predict medical school performance well at all, although others have criticized the study because it possibly has "ceiling effects" there. I don't think that UMAT is any better than still using academic achievement (ATAR) even at the high levels, although I have some issues with English being compulsory primary 4 in ATAR calculations in Victoria and NSW (but not some other states; in some it is not even compulsory in year 12), without Math being compulsory at all in some states (including VIC and NSW), let alone primary 4.
Similar criticisms are sometimes applied to the GAMSAT, and I don't think the GAMSAT is as optimal as it can be either, however it does test science unlike UMAT, and that section has some modest predictive value. The MCAT in North America seems to have more solid evidence behind it though, so perhaps if we modify the GAMSAT to be more of that style then it can probably predict medical school performance better. However, it will probably also disadvantage non-science background students, so if unis here think that that type of diversity is important, then such a change in the test probably can't happen. I think a standardized test like the MCAT or GAMSAT with some science is justified in selecting med school applicants for graduate entry, especially because for GPA there hardly any scaling for differentiating between subjects which are easier or harder to score highly in, between different unis and within them.
On the other hand, for ATAR, at least in most states, there is scaling to take into account differences in difficulty between subjects, and in most cases standardized exams for most of the marks going towards a subject. So there is less need for a standardized test including a science section; it would seem to just duplicate whatever assessment is done at school, especially if chemistry is a prerequisite (as it is in some unis for medicine including Monash but not all. Funnily, biology is not a required prerequisite anywhere in Australia for undergraduate entry, and I didn't do year 12 level bio in high school, but that's a discussion for another day).
It has been argued that ATAR discriminates against people of lower socioeconomic status. This may be true, but it is also true that UMAT preparation courses are expensive, and it is hard for people of low socioeconomic status to afford those too. I think if we want to get people of low socioeconomic status into medicine and other uni courses, then we should have some sort of affirmative action instead of using some dubious selection tools which may add more noise into the selection process and being not very useful predictors.
Regarding the irregularity itself, it seems like the Vice Chancellor and his deputy have both paid the price and stood down. Then there is debate on whether the relative who was given the irregular offer should keep their place or not. Personally, I don't have a very strong view on this.
In that memorandum, there was also noticeably a mention of people with Vice Chancellor scholarships (by achieving an ATAR of 99.95; the highest possible rank) who did not do well on the UMAT but still got irregular offers. This has never been the official policy of UQ to give such offers in such circumstances, but it should be noted that this is very similar to what is done in Melbourne (needing 99.90 and above) and USyd (needing 99.95). The main difference between Melb and USyd compared to UQ is just that UQ didn't interview for this, but UQ doesn't interview anyone except ATSI applicants anyway. It does raise eyebrows when UQ does things not in their official policy though, and it seems like they won't be doing such a thing next year. I think they could be justified if they made giving medicine places to people with Vice Chancellor scholarships regardless of UMAT official policy though.
This raises another issue. Is using UMAT a good system to select applicants? I personally do not think so, and so far the evidence seems to suggest that UMAT doesn't predict medical school performance well at all, although others have criticized the study because it possibly has "ceiling effects" there. I don't think that UMAT is any better than still using academic achievement (ATAR) even at the high levels, although I have some issues with English being compulsory primary 4 in ATAR calculations in Victoria and NSW (but not some other states; in some it is not even compulsory in year 12), without Math being compulsory at all in some states (including VIC and NSW), let alone primary 4.
Similar criticisms are sometimes applied to the GAMSAT, and I don't think the GAMSAT is as optimal as it can be either, however it does test science unlike UMAT, and that section has some modest predictive value. The MCAT in North America seems to have more solid evidence behind it though, so perhaps if we modify the GAMSAT to be more of that style then it can probably predict medical school performance better. However, it will probably also disadvantage non-science background students, so if unis here think that that type of diversity is important, then such a change in the test probably can't happen. I think a standardized test like the MCAT or GAMSAT with some science is justified in selecting med school applicants for graduate entry, especially because for GPA there hardly any scaling for differentiating between subjects which are easier or harder to score highly in, between different unis and within them.
On the other hand, for ATAR, at least in most states, there is scaling to take into account differences in difficulty between subjects, and in most cases standardized exams for most of the marks going towards a subject. So there is less need for a standardized test including a science section; it would seem to just duplicate whatever assessment is done at school, especially if chemistry is a prerequisite (as it is in some unis for medicine including Monash but not all. Funnily, biology is not a required prerequisite anywhere in Australia for undergraduate entry, and I didn't do year 12 level bio in high school, but that's a discussion for another day).
It has been argued that ATAR discriminates against people of lower socioeconomic status. This may be true, but it is also true that UMAT preparation courses are expensive, and it is hard for people of low socioeconomic status to afford those too. I think if we want to get people of low socioeconomic status into medicine and other uni courses, then we should have some sort of affirmative action instead of using some dubious selection tools which may add more noise into the selection process and being not very useful predictors.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
UQ (lower preference) issue appears to be resolved + GEMSAS critique
On the paging dr forum, a member (naskies) posted that UQ has updated the cut off scores for domestic students for 2012 entry. Whereas it was previously 73 for CSP and 66* for BMP, it now displays as 72 for CSP and 64* for BMP.
From that, I think two things can explain this:
The first (less likely) reason is that maybe UQ reserved some places for offers in the offer round after the GEMSAS offers in case people were not successful in higher preferenced universities and got passed onto UQ by the computer.
The second (I think more likely) reason is that enough people who received places from both USyd (who pulled out of the GEMSAS consortium) and UQ declined their UQ offer for USyd, so this was more than enough to compensate for the number of people who got passed onto UQ from higher preferenced unis and above UQ's initial cutoff score.
Either way, the issue of not getting a place from UQ as a lower preference, even if your GAMSAT would have met the cutoff if you preferenced them first, now seems to have disappeared. This is a good outcome.
I feel that the GEMSAS system is a definite improvement over the old system. There are two possible improvements though, which I see some others have noted too.
One of them is if you can fine tune the preference list so you can put a CSP from a lower preferenced uni higher than a BMP for a higher preferenced university, for example; especially a CSP or BMP from one lower preferenced uni above a FFP from a higher up one on the preference list. I know someone who had the scores for a UQ CSP but got a FFP at Melbourne.
The second one is that if someone (person A) pulls out of their offer at a given university, someone else (person B) should be able to take it, regardless of whether or not they already have a place at a lower preferenced university. Although it would be more hassle for the unis, it's not really fair for an applicant who had a lower combined score (person C) to get a place at that particular university just because he didn't already have a place, ahead of someone (person B) who happened to be offered a place at another university lower on their preference list. People should be able to receive second round offers higher up than their initial one if they are eligible and competitive, like they do in VTAC, UAC, TISC etc.
There's also another argument about how interviews are not entirely the same everywhere, so perhaps the whole thing about standardizing interview scores might be frowned upon, although if we want to get around this, then we have to let everyone go and sit interviews at all unis they preference and have competitive scores before interviews for. So it depends on what people think the balance between inconvenience and cost, compared to having the "right interview format", should be.
From that, I think two things can explain this:
The first (less likely) reason is that maybe UQ reserved some places for offers in the offer round after the GEMSAS offers in case people were not successful in higher preferenced universities and got passed onto UQ by the computer.
The second (I think more likely) reason is that enough people who received places from both USyd (who pulled out of the GEMSAS consortium) and UQ declined their UQ offer for USyd, so this was more than enough to compensate for the number of people who got passed onto UQ from higher preferenced unis and above UQ's initial cutoff score.
Either way, the issue of not getting a place from UQ as a lower preference, even if your GAMSAT would have met the cutoff if you preferenced them first, now seems to have disappeared. This is a good outcome.
I feel that the GEMSAS system is a definite improvement over the old system. There are two possible improvements though, which I see some others have noted too.
One of them is if you can fine tune the preference list so you can put a CSP from a lower preferenced uni higher than a BMP for a higher preferenced university, for example; especially a CSP or BMP from one lower preferenced uni above a FFP from a higher up one on the preference list. I know someone who had the scores for a UQ CSP but got a FFP at Melbourne.
The second one is that if someone (person A) pulls out of their offer at a given university, someone else (person B) should be able to take it, regardless of whether or not they already have a place at a lower preferenced university. Although it would be more hassle for the unis, it's not really fair for an applicant who had a lower combined score (person C) to get a place at that particular university just because he didn't already have a place, ahead of someone (person B) who happened to be offered a place at another university lower on their preference list. People should be able to receive second round offers higher up than their initial one if they are eligible and competitive, like they do in VTAC, UAC, TISC etc.
There's also another argument about how interviews are not entirely the same everywhere, so perhaps the whole thing about standardizing interview scores might be frowned upon, although if we want to get around this, then we have to let everyone go and sit interviews at all unis they preference and have competitive scores before interviews for. So it depends on what people think the balance between inconvenience and cost, compared to having the "right interview format", should be.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
GPA... GAMSAT... Interview...: One year on
It's been one year since I made my first post on my blog, back in 24 November 2010. And it has really been quite an interesting year since then.
At the end of last year, I visited Malaysia and Singapore, as noted a few blog posts back. This was my first visit ever to Asia, and Malaysia was the first developing country that I have ever visited. It was an interesting experience to have.
After that holiday and about half a month break, I started uni again for my final year of biomed; earlier than most other people because I enrolled in a summer semester of linear algebra. I decided to do this because I felt it might be beneficial to have a lighter workload in semester two so I could prepare for the Melbourne interview if necessary. The subject wasn't that intense, and it still felt like a break (technically it was a half workload too anyway; you can usually take up to two subjects in summer).
After that came the start of the standard Semester 1. A full load this semester, like most other uni semesters. Within the semester, there was the GAMSAT. I already sat it last year and did reasonably well, but I wanted to improve my score if possible still. After sitting it and waiting almost eight weeks for results, I was pleased that I improved on my old results, from 77 overall (70 Melbourne) to 83 overall (77 Melbourne); while maintaining a 100 in the science section. Waiting for those results took most of the semester.
Meanwhile, it was known that USyd was conducting interviews during the midyear break. Because it was before the Melbourne interview, I felt it would be good to have a go and have a practice. It would also have been a good backup if I didn't get into Melbourne. It was also my first time visiting Sydney in over ten years. However, I didn't prepare enough before the interview, and I didn't get a CSP offer at USyd.
Anyway, so there was Semester 2, with a lighter workload due to taking Linear Algebra in summer. I got a Melbourne interview, as I thought I would, and this time I did a lot more preparation. I felt more confident out of the interview, and after six to seven weeks of waiting for GEMSAS, I received my MD CSP provisional offer from Melbourne. Then I finished all my exams for biomed, and this is where things stand today; waiting for exam results for semester two.
During this one year since I started this blog, I've noticed that the number of blog views have increased over time. In November and December 2010, there were hardly any hits. In January 2011, the number of hits went up noticeably to 150, and stayed around there for a while. There was a noticeable spike at May when the GAMSAT results were released, and it's stayed around that mark until this month where views rose dramatically due to the GEMSAS offers being released and the suspense leading up to it, with @deakinblog publishing a few links to some of my posts. I expect the view count to ease off next month though, since there is not going to be anything as big as the GEMSAS offers then, or any time soon.
I'd like to thank all the readers of my blog for their interest in what I have to say, especially those who have posted constructive comments which have led to good discussions about any issues I have raised. I hope you all continue to enjoy reading my blog into the future.
At the end of last year, I visited Malaysia and Singapore, as noted a few blog posts back. This was my first visit ever to Asia, and Malaysia was the first developing country that I have ever visited. It was an interesting experience to have.
After that holiday and about half a month break, I started uni again for my final year of biomed; earlier than most other people because I enrolled in a summer semester of linear algebra. I decided to do this because I felt it might be beneficial to have a lighter workload in semester two so I could prepare for the Melbourne interview if necessary. The subject wasn't that intense, and it still felt like a break (technically it was a half workload too anyway; you can usually take up to two subjects in summer).
After that came the start of the standard Semester 1. A full load this semester, like most other uni semesters. Within the semester, there was the GAMSAT. I already sat it last year and did reasonably well, but I wanted to improve my score if possible still. After sitting it and waiting almost eight weeks for results, I was pleased that I improved on my old results, from 77 overall (70 Melbourne) to 83 overall (77 Melbourne); while maintaining a 100 in the science section. Waiting for those results took most of the semester.
Meanwhile, it was known that USyd was conducting interviews during the midyear break. Because it was before the Melbourne interview, I felt it would be good to have a go and have a practice. It would also have been a good backup if I didn't get into Melbourne. It was also my first time visiting Sydney in over ten years. However, I didn't prepare enough before the interview, and I didn't get a CSP offer at USyd.
Anyway, so there was Semester 2, with a lighter workload due to taking Linear Algebra in summer. I got a Melbourne interview, as I thought I would, and this time I did a lot more preparation. I felt more confident out of the interview, and after six to seven weeks of waiting for GEMSAS, I received my MD CSP provisional offer from Melbourne. Then I finished all my exams for biomed, and this is where things stand today; waiting for exam results for semester two.
During this one year since I started this blog, I've noticed that the number of blog views have increased over time. In November and December 2010, there were hardly any hits. In January 2011, the number of hits went up noticeably to 150, and stayed around there for a while. There was a noticeable spike at May when the GAMSAT results were released, and it's stayed around that mark until this month where views rose dramatically due to the GEMSAS offers being released and the suspense leading up to it, with @deakinblog publishing a few links to some of my posts. I expect the view count to ease off next month though, since there is not going to be anything as big as the GEMSAS offers then, or any time soon.
I'd like to thank all the readers of my blog for their interest in what I have to say, especially those who have posted constructive comments which have led to good discussions about any issues I have raised. I hope you all continue to enjoy reading my blog into the future.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
A tale of two interviews
If you read my older posts, you would know that I failed the USyd interview quite badly. Even with my GAMSAT score of 83, my interview score was 84/180, so even if I applied to BMP I wouldn't get in. However, I did get into Melbourne, even though I was disadvantaged due to the Melbourne weighting of GAMSAT sections (down to 77) and my GPA was not perfect (about 6.8; unlike USyd, GPA is not just a hurdle at Melbourne). I got a CSP non-bonded place, and in the clinical allocation I wanted.
There were quite a few different reasons for the different outcome:
1. Because the Melbourne interview is weighted less, so maybe I needed less score in Melbourne to get a CSP, but my ranking before interview would have been better in USyd due to the normal GAMSAT weighting and not using GPA to rank.
2. For the USyd one, my preparation effort mainly was one week of going in an interview practice group and working out answers to all questions. However, I had no practice in actually answering them face to face, and because I booked an interview on the first Monday, I had no time to memorize the answers. For Melbourne, I started in a group (often with just one other person, but sometimes a few people) and worked out answers throughout most of the semester before the interview. I had time to memorize all the answers we came up with, and 100% of the questions for Melbourne this year in the interview were repeats. I recited some of my answers in front of the mirror to try to make it more fluent. I had real talking practice during the week just before the interviews. I also had practice with Des O'Neill (I decided that $150 wasn't too much compared to missing out on Melbourne, although I don't know whether it added that much really compared to memorizing answers for Melbourne and practicing with friends, because Melbourne didn't change questions).
3. I'm not sure how much this helped, but before the Melbourne interview in the semester, I made special effort to give people eye contact when I was talking to them, even if normally I wouldn't bother. I also decided to try to increase my attention span by staying awake more than normal during lectures, and looking at lecturer's eyes during lectures just for practice to get used to it (I don't try to fall asleep during lectures, but sometimes I'm a bit tired).
4. I was more serious in general for Melbourne. I went on a road trip with 2 other family members to USyd and booked on the first day when I had a choice, even though I knew it probably wouldn't help my performance, since it was a practice round (although I would take a USyd CSP if I got that and didn't get any other offers). We booked some cheap hotel in Sydney, which actually stuffed up our accommodation and it was very stressful, especially because we didn't really arrive early in Sydney in the first place.
5. As with all interviews, there was luck involved. In USyd, the first few interviewers didn't shake my hand, and while I didn't really know why, I was nervous for the first few stations. Then one shook my hand, and I was much more at ease at that station, and then I thought the others not shaking my hand contributed to my nervousness. A few interviewers were antagonistic. There was also a "personal station" in USyd which not everyone got but I got, and I didn't prepare for it for USyd. In contrast, in Melbourne, all my interviewers I had were very friendly and the one who I had twice seemed to agree with everything I said.
So that's a list of reasons why I got into Melbourne in an unbonded CSP but not USyd first round.
There were quite a few different reasons for the different outcome:
1. Because the Melbourne interview is weighted less, so maybe I needed less score in Melbourne to get a CSP, but my ranking before interview would have been better in USyd due to the normal GAMSAT weighting and not using GPA to rank.
2. For the USyd one, my preparation effort mainly was one week of going in an interview practice group and working out answers to all questions. However, I had no practice in actually answering them face to face, and because I booked an interview on the first Monday, I had no time to memorize the answers. For Melbourne, I started in a group (often with just one other person, but sometimes a few people) and worked out answers throughout most of the semester before the interview. I had time to memorize all the answers we came up with, and 100% of the questions for Melbourne this year in the interview were repeats. I recited some of my answers in front of the mirror to try to make it more fluent. I had real talking practice during the week just before the interviews. I also had practice with Des O'Neill (I decided that $150 wasn't too much compared to missing out on Melbourne, although I don't know whether it added that much really compared to memorizing answers for Melbourne and practicing with friends, because Melbourne didn't change questions).
3. I'm not sure how much this helped, but before the Melbourne interview in the semester, I made special effort to give people eye contact when I was talking to them, even if normally I wouldn't bother. I also decided to try to increase my attention span by staying awake more than normal during lectures, and looking at lecturer's eyes during lectures just for practice to get used to it (I don't try to fall asleep during lectures, but sometimes I'm a bit tired).
4. I was more serious in general for Melbourne. I went on a road trip with 2 other family members to USyd and booked on the first day when I had a choice, even though I knew it probably wouldn't help my performance, since it was a practice round (although I would take a USyd CSP if I got that and didn't get any other offers). We booked some cheap hotel in Sydney, which actually stuffed up our accommodation and it was very stressful, especially because we didn't really arrive early in Sydney in the first place.
5. As with all interviews, there was luck involved. In USyd, the first few interviewers didn't shake my hand, and while I didn't really know why, I was nervous for the first few stations. Then one shook my hand, and I was much more at ease at that station, and then I thought the others not shaking my hand contributed to my nervousness. A few interviewers were antagonistic. There was also a "personal station" in USyd which not everyone got but I got, and I didn't prepare for it for USyd. In contrast, in Melbourne, all my interviewers I had were very friendly and the one who I had twice seemed to agree with everything I said.
So that's a list of reasons why I got into Melbourne in an unbonded CSP but not USyd first round.
Friday, September 30, 2011
[update] UniMelb interview complete!
The interviews for UniMelb and a few other unis are now complete. I wonder why GEMSAS require us to wait until 9-16 November for offers though. Ah well, that's how the system is. Now we just wait.
I thought that I went reasonably well; a lot better than USyd. Of course though, I can't be 100% sure. 100% of the questions I was asked were repeated from previous years at UniMelb though, and I was more prepared, confident and taking this interview more seriously than USyd's one in general, as I really do want to go to UniMelb. It was also good that the interviews were less long than USyd because I don't talk much, and there was no scenario overload unlike USyd.
Since all the questions were repeats though, I wonder how many people have practiced the exact same questions before just like I did. Ah well. I feel I did reasonably well, but I wonder if the interviewers felt I was too rehearsed and deducted marks because of that. I felt that five minutes was a good time though; I finished quite a few just before or on the mark. Not much surplus time waiting unlike USyd.
Anyway. Now it's up to catching up with assignments again, and catching back up with course work. Thankfully I only have three subjects. It's back to uni for a final four weeks on Monday.
I thought that I went reasonably well; a lot better than USyd. Of course though, I can't be 100% sure. 100% of the questions I was asked were repeated from previous years at UniMelb though, and I was more prepared, confident and taking this interview more seriously than USyd's one in general, as I really do want to go to UniMelb. It was also good that the interviews were less long than USyd because I don't talk much, and there was no scenario overload unlike USyd.
Since all the questions were repeats though, I wonder how many people have practiced the exact same questions before just like I did. Ah well. I feel I did reasonably well, but I wonder if the interviewers felt I was too rehearsed and deducted marks because of that. I felt that five minutes was a good time though; I finished quite a few just before or on the mark. Not much surplus time waiting unlike USyd.
Anyway. Now it's up to catching up with assignments again, and catching back up with course work. Thankfully I only have three subjects. It's back to uni for a final four weeks on Monday.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
[update] Midsemester break! (2011 semester 2)
Today is the start of the midsemester break for semester 2, 2011. In UniMelb, this break is two weeks long.
Anyway, this means that there are no more university classes until the interviews. The interviews are on the second week of the break. I've prepared some more during the semester, but I can always do more. My skills still are not the best, although I think they have improved a bit. Also, Unimelb's interviews are a bit different to USyd's ones. They have more variety, instead of just scenarios.
I'm not sure which situation was better though. With USyd, my GAMSAT score was 83 and they apparently made GAMSAT 50% and interview 50% (although they used raw percentages to rank instead of some z-score calc, so in fact the interview explained more variance of the rank list score than GAMSAT scores under the USyd method, unlike if they used z-scores). With Unimelb, I'm not sure what they use to rank in terms of z-scores, percentages or adding up ranks on rank lists, but broadly it's 1/3 GPA, 1/3 GAMSAT (but equal weighted) and 1/3 interview.
Anyway, on face value, I have an above average GPA and GAMSAT, but my GPA isn't 7 (it is about 6.8) and my GAMSAT mark is brought down significantly due to the Melbourne's GAMSAT equal weighting instead of weighting S3 doubly (down to 77 from 83). It would seem that it's common for scores to go down after using Melbourne's GAMSAT weighting, because most people applying to med school (and especially Melbourne because of the prerequisites) have a science background. However, they probably won't go down as much as mine usually. In any case, I feel my rank before the interview is lower with Melb's entry criteria compared to USyd, although it is still very good for Melb, and the interview isn't weighted as much for Melb. So I'm not that sure which one I'd need a lower interview score to get into an unbonded place.
Ah well. The best option is just to keep working on interview skills and do as well as I can on the day. And the aim shouldn't just to scrape in an unbonded place either, it should be to get a place in my preferred clinical zone. Anyway, it seems like my interview is in about one and a half to two weeks. Closing in...
Anyway, this means that there are no more university classes until the interviews. The interviews are on the second week of the break. I've prepared some more during the semester, but I can always do more. My skills still are not the best, although I think they have improved a bit. Also, Unimelb's interviews are a bit different to USyd's ones. They have more variety, instead of just scenarios.
I'm not sure which situation was better though. With USyd, my GAMSAT score was 83 and they apparently made GAMSAT 50% and interview 50% (although they used raw percentages to rank instead of some z-score calc, so in fact the interview explained more variance of the rank list score than GAMSAT scores under the USyd method, unlike if they used z-scores). With Unimelb, I'm not sure what they use to rank in terms of z-scores, percentages or adding up ranks on rank lists, but broadly it's 1/3 GPA, 1/3 GAMSAT (but equal weighted) and 1/3 interview.
Anyway, on face value, I have an above average GPA and GAMSAT, but my GPA isn't 7 (it is about 6.8) and my GAMSAT mark is brought down significantly due to the Melbourne's GAMSAT equal weighting instead of weighting S3 doubly (down to 77 from 83). It would seem that it's common for scores to go down after using Melbourne's GAMSAT weighting, because most people applying to med school (and especially Melbourne because of the prerequisites) have a science background. However, they probably won't go down as much as mine usually. In any case, I feel my rank before the interview is lower with Melb's entry criteria compared to USyd, although it is still very good for Melb, and the interview isn't weighted as much for Melb. So I'm not that sure which one I'd need a lower interview score to get into an unbonded place.
Ah well. The best option is just to keep working on interview skills and do as well as I can on the day. And the aim shouldn't just to scrape in an unbonded place either, it should be to get a place in my preferred clinical zone. Anyway, it seems like my interview is in about one and a half to two weeks. Closing in...
Friday, August 19, 2011
[update] Not the best week...
The past week hasn't been the best. At the start, I had the draft of an assignment due, and then there was an online test for another subject worth 7.5% of it (not big, but not a small amount). I didn't do as well as I'd have liked; 75%.
Then the offers for USyd dent came out. It wasn't that surprising, but I didn't get an offer. Who knows, I might still get one in later rounds though. Logically it shouldn't have affected me too much, but sometimes I do wonder if I should have applied to UniMelb DDS and spend the extra $100... Especially with this uncertainty surrounding UQ, whether or not people who didn't preference them first would get a place, despite the supposed streamlining with the GEMSAS implementation. On the other hand, maybe that's the motivation I need to do well on the Melbourne interview...
Then I hear that the interview ratio of the Melbourne Medical course has been increased from 1.25 (125%) to 1.5 (150%). This seems to be not proven incorrect due to the interview ratio of 125% been taken off the unimelb website. Now it's better to know than not to know, but this news isn't good. I assume they might have been trying to compensate for USyd pulling out of the consortium, but USyd med people already have their offers so I wonder if it was actually necessary. That makes the ratio without FFPs 1.5*320/280=1.71, which is not low at all! And if only unbonded CSPs are included (I only put down accepting unbonded CSPs; logically I'd rather apply the next year and put UQ first than accept a bonded CSP), then 1.5*320/202=2.38, before accounting for all the guaranteed entry people...
Ah well. I wouldn't be surprised if I look back on this week in the future and it is just a small bump after all. But I do have to put it behind me, practice more for the interview, and keep up more with the study... I wish I could just focus on studies, seriously.
Then the offers for USyd dent came out. It wasn't that surprising, but I didn't get an offer. Who knows, I might still get one in later rounds though. Logically it shouldn't have affected me too much, but sometimes I do wonder if I should have applied to UniMelb DDS and spend the extra $100... Especially with this uncertainty surrounding UQ, whether or not people who didn't preference them first would get a place, despite the supposed streamlining with the GEMSAS implementation. On the other hand, maybe that's the motivation I need to do well on the Melbourne interview...
Then I hear that the interview ratio of the Melbourne Medical course has been increased from 1.25 (125%) to 1.5 (150%). This seems to be not proven incorrect due to the interview ratio of 125% been taken off the unimelb website. Now it's better to know than not to know, but this news isn't good. I assume they might have been trying to compensate for USyd pulling out of the consortium, but USyd med people already have their offers so I wonder if it was actually necessary. That makes the ratio without FFPs 1.5*320/280=1.71, which is not low at all! And if only unbonded CSPs are included (I only put down accepting unbonded CSPs; logically I'd rather apply the next year and put UQ first than accept a bonded CSP), then 1.5*320/202=2.38, before accounting for all the guaranteed entry people...
Ah well. I wouldn't be surprised if I look back on this week in the future and it is just a small bump after all. But I do have to put it behind me, practice more for the interview, and keep up more with the study... I wish I could just focus on studies, seriously.
Friday, August 5, 2011
[update] USyd releases interview scores.
Today, unexpectedly, USyd released the interview scores of medical school applicants. My score was very low, 84/180 (46.7%). That means that I have a lot of improvement to do with my interviewing ability.
It's interesting to note that the email suggests that the rank list is generated by adding up the interview percentage (out of 100%) with the GAMSAT overall score (out of 100). This is instead of adding up "standard scores" (aka z-scores), and since the interview scores have a higher standard deviation than GAMSAT overall scores, means that the rank list weights the interview more highly than a standard score approach.
Anyway, it seems like I have to improve my interview ability quite significantly (it was about 15% more for me to get an unbonded CSP this year in USyd). Thankfully, I only have three subjects this semester to worry about.
It's interesting to note that the email suggests that the rank list is generated by adding up the interview percentage (out of 100%) with the GAMSAT overall score (out of 100). This is instead of adding up "standard scores" (aka z-scores), and since the interview scores have a higher standard deviation than GAMSAT overall scores, means that the rank list weights the interview more highly than a standard score approach.
Anyway, it seems like I have to improve my interview ability quite significantly (it was about 15% more for me to get an unbonded CSP this year in USyd). Thankfully, I only have three subjects this semester to worry about.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Review of decisions of the past year
Today I've been thinking of the various decisions that I have made with respect to medical school admission in the past year. While ultimately I will get a clearer picture at the end of the year, here are my thoughts right now:
Firstly, it was the correct decision to repeat the GAMSAT, despite my score last year being "high". My mark improved by 6 on the "normal" weighted scale, and 7 on the weird "equal weighting" used by UniMelb. I do predict that the Melbourne cutoff will rise this year because of the increase in biomed graduates, and any higher score is useful. Furthermore, the USyd experience has shown that my interview ability is rather weak like I thought it was, so a higher GAMSAT would be a very useful buffer in the selection overall score, especially for UniMelb where they don't have a minimum interview score required unlike USyd.
Secondly, it was the correct decision to apply to USyd. Although it hasn't offered me a safety net like I hoped it might, applying there required me to think about some MMI questions. I also got some real MMI experience too and have identified some things to work on for next time. This can only help for a possible Melbourne interview.
As for the other decisions, it is impossible to tell if I made the right decision right now. If the UQ issue has been resolved, then the GEMSAS preference list that I drew up is the correct one. However, if it has not been resolved, and if I also happen to not get into UniMelb, then it may not have been the right one (although it also means that I should have tried harder for practicing for the interview for Melbourne).
Apart from that, if both the UQ issue is not resolved, and I did not get into Melbourne, then it may mean that I should have applied to dentistry in Melbourne (no interview). To be honest, it was only during this year when I seriously considered dentistry, sparked by the lecture that the dentistry guy gave during the DPhysio/MD/DDS info session (he was pretty funny and perhaps his speech was rather unconventional). I have become more and more interested about the OMS (oral/maxillofacial surgery) specialization which requires both medicine and dentistry this year, partially because I like being at uni (and without wasting time either), and partially because both medicine and dentistry seem interesting. But if I do get into medicine, then not applying would have been the right decision, since then I wouldn't need to pay $100 in application fees this year.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Or rather not. I guess I'll have to practice for the interview. That is best thing that I can do now.
Firstly, it was the correct decision to repeat the GAMSAT, despite my score last year being "high". My mark improved by 6 on the "normal" weighted scale, and 7 on the weird "equal weighting" used by UniMelb. I do predict that the Melbourne cutoff will rise this year because of the increase in biomed graduates, and any higher score is useful. Furthermore, the USyd experience has shown that my interview ability is rather weak like I thought it was, so a higher GAMSAT would be a very useful buffer in the selection overall score, especially for UniMelb where they don't have a minimum interview score required unlike USyd.
Secondly, it was the correct decision to apply to USyd. Although it hasn't offered me a safety net like I hoped it might, applying there required me to think about some MMI questions. I also got some real MMI experience too and have identified some things to work on for next time. This can only help for a possible Melbourne interview.
As for the other decisions, it is impossible to tell if I made the right decision right now. If the UQ issue has been resolved, then the GEMSAS preference list that I drew up is the correct one. However, if it has not been resolved, and if I also happen to not get into UniMelb, then it may not have been the right one (although it also means that I should have tried harder for practicing for the interview for Melbourne).
Apart from that, if both the UQ issue is not resolved, and I did not get into Melbourne, then it may mean that I should have applied to dentistry in Melbourne (no interview). To be honest, it was only during this year when I seriously considered dentistry, sparked by the lecture that the dentistry guy gave during the DPhysio/MD/DDS info session (he was pretty funny and perhaps his speech was rather unconventional). I have become more and more interested about the OMS (oral/maxillofacial surgery) specialization which requires both medicine and dentistry this year, partially because I like being at uni (and without wasting time either), and partially because both medicine and dentistry seem interesting. But if I do get into medicine, then not applying would have been the right decision, since then I wouldn't need to pay $100 in application fees this year.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Or rather not. I guess I'll have to practice for the interview. That is best thing that I can do now.
USyd interviews: what went wrong. Points to improve for Melbourne.
I am not talkative in real life. Also, I am younger than most other people applying for graduate entry med (and male, so perhaps less mature than females the same age), and have not been in a job with lots of teamwork involved, so have not had many experiences with difficult interpersonal situations. So I haven't had much experience for those scenarios similar to some interview questions. Also, I score significantly above the average on the autism spectrum test, although not enough for a diagnosis. I also scored less than 50 in section two of the UMAT back in year 12; the "Understanding People" section. All these factors, and maybe more which I can't think of right now, make interviews difficult for me.
However, that does not mean that I cannot perform well in interviews given enough practice. Maybe I need a lot more practice than usual people though. There is also a list of things which I could have done differently for USyd if I was more serious (instead of it being a backup for Melbourne). I could have refused to turn it into a holiday with more than one other family member, and just focused on the interview and come back. I could have taken a plane instead of go by car, so I had more time to learn the answers that the interview practice group I was in came up with, and had more of a rest. Also, I could have told family members not to book cheap accommodation, where the place incidentally stuffed up our booking and made things stressful in the night before the interview. I could also have booked the interview on any day other than the first day of interviews to give myself a bit more time to learn the answers. And of course, as stated in an earlier post, I could act more confident.
Of these things, a lot of them (to do with traveling) are not applicable to the Melbourne interview, since I live in Melbourne. However, I do need to practice speaking confidently and looking in peoples' eyes (and not looking at the "silent observer" either but only the interviewer in front of me, although I do pay attention to the need to do that already), especially since apparently there is more nonverbal than verbal communication, although personally I find text communication or voice communication perfectly OK apart from when I have to draw diagrams or use math formulas which are hard to type or say, and I need to spend time to memorize answers. Also, maybe I shouldn't book for the first day of interviews if I have a choice.
Ah well. The main thing for Melbourne is more practice I guess. Notwithstanding the starting disadvantage that I may have, enough practice should be able to make up for it. If my improvement in section two of the GAMSAT (written communication) by 18 points was anything to go by (although a lot of it was luck), there is definitely hope for improvement of the interview...
However, that does not mean that I cannot perform well in interviews given enough practice. Maybe I need a lot more practice than usual people though. There is also a list of things which I could have done differently for USyd if I was more serious (instead of it being a backup for Melbourne). I could have refused to turn it into a holiday with more than one other family member, and just focused on the interview and come back. I could have taken a plane instead of go by car, so I had more time to learn the answers that the interview practice group I was in came up with, and had more of a rest. Also, I could have told family members not to book cheap accommodation, where the place incidentally stuffed up our booking and made things stressful in the night before the interview. I could also have booked the interview on any day other than the first day of interviews to give myself a bit more time to learn the answers. And of course, as stated in an earlier post, I could act more confident.
Of these things, a lot of them (to do with traveling) are not applicable to the Melbourne interview, since I live in Melbourne. However, I do need to practice speaking confidently and looking in peoples' eyes (and not looking at the "silent observer" either but only the interviewer in front of me, although I do pay attention to the need to do that already), especially since apparently there is more nonverbal than verbal communication, although personally I find text communication or voice communication perfectly OK apart from when I have to draw diagrams or use math formulas which are hard to type or say, and I need to spend time to memorize answers. Also, maybe I shouldn't book for the first day of interviews if I have a choice.
Ah well. The main thing for Melbourne is more practice I guess. Notwithstanding the starting disadvantage that I may have, enough practice should be able to make up for it. If my improvement in section two of the GAMSAT (written communication) by 18 points was anything to go by (although a lot of it was luck), there is definitely hope for improvement of the interview...
Friday, July 29, 2011
[update] No USyd offer. Have to practice more for Melbourne.
The USyd medicine offers were released a lot earlier than expected today. Unfortunately, I didn't get one. I didn't apply for BMP though, only unbonded CSP. That said, there has been no mention of anyone who was on a "waitlist" on the forums, so it is possible that people will get offers after rejection in the future as people decline USyd offers for some on the GEMSAS consortium.
Anyway, I wasn't that confident out of the interview, so that wasn't too unexpected. I guess I'll have to work more on skills before Melbourne though. That interview offer may come out in a few weeks. It's good that I have had practice, although the bad thing is that I have not much of a safety net anymore, if the UQ issue is not resolved. Ah well, I did not really expect to have this experience anyway in the first place, and Melbourne has always been the aim. So I'll just let this experience guide me hopefully to a stronger performance in a Melbourne interview.
Anyway, I wasn't that confident out of the interview, so that wasn't too unexpected. I guess I'll have to work more on skills before Melbourne though. That interview offer may come out in a few weeks. It's good that I have had practice, although the bad thing is that I have not much of a safety net anymore, if the UQ issue is not resolved. Ah well, I did not really expect to have this experience anyway in the first place, and Melbourne has always been the aim. So I'll just let this experience guide me hopefully to a stronger performance in a Melbourne interview.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
[update] Semester two has begun. Getting back into the uni routine.
As you would know from reading, this is my first week back at uni for semester two. The first one or two weeks in a semester involve getting back into a routine, and knowing roughly where and when each class is. The train was late on my first day back though (Monday), as is often the case in Melbourne, so I was late for my first class.
It is now three weeks to mid-August, when the USyd offers come out. Unlike what I said before though, the other unis' interview offers seem to be from 25-31 August according to the GMAC admission guide instead of mid-August. So they are one to two weeks after USyd offers.
Historically, UQ offers have been released before other unis' interview offers in the consortium. If I don't get an offer when UQ releases their main round offers, and if my GAMSAT score was higher than cutoff, then that would be an early indication that it is likely that Melbourne has given me an interview offer, since UQ is my second preference.
I guess that's about all I have to say for now.
It is now three weeks to mid-August, when the USyd offers come out. Unlike what I said before though, the other unis' interview offers seem to be from 25-31 August according to the GMAC admission guide instead of mid-August. So they are one to two weeks after USyd offers.
Historically, UQ offers have been released before other unis' interview offers in the consortium. If I don't get an offer when UQ releases their main round offers, and if my GAMSAT score was higher than cutoff, then that would be an early indication that it is likely that Melbourne has given me an interview offer, since UQ is my second preference.
I guess that's about all I have to say for now.
Friday, July 22, 2011
[update] Semester two in three days
Semester two starts in three days. I only have three subjects this semester since I did a subject in summer semester. This was a deliberate plan on my part, because I wanted extra time for interview preparation just before a hypothetical Melbourne or other consortium uni interview. There would be extra time for practice with fewer subjects to worry about.
I also hope to actually get time to read my textbook. In the past for subjects in uni, I did read the textbook a bit for some of the biological type subjects, but often for less than half the covered material in class. The notes in uni usually cover most of the things to learn, and unlike VCE, the uni textbooks have a lot of unexaminable content there since they are not specifically designed for the subject (I hear of a major subject in some other people doing my course where the material taught in lectures is just all of a textbook, but that is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule). I also couldn't be bothered finding up the page reference numbers for what to read, unlike in VCE where I simply read the physics and chem books from start to finish; all of the chem book and the physics book for the distinct chapters which covered the core content and the detailed study we were taught to do.
That said, I think reading the textbook is good at third year level. It seems that often the same textbooks were prescribed for second and third year level, and only a bit of it was used in second year and a lot more was used in third year. So I'll try to do that this semester. Hopefully that will integrate knowledge better.
Apart from that... interviews... one month to find out the result from USyd and see if I get a Melbourne interview. It would have been more comforting if I knew for sure that the UQ issue is resolved, but I don't know that. That said, the plan A has always been to get into the Melbourne Medicine course.
Anyway, so semester two. It's the final semester of biomed if all things go to plan. It is likely to be the semester where I go to an interview for UniMelb medicine. It is also during then that I'll know whether or not I have received medical school offers for USyd and UniMelb medicine, setting the path for the next four years ahead. And it will begin in three days. I hope for a good outcome.
Let the games begin!
I also hope to actually get time to read my textbook. In the past for subjects in uni, I did read the textbook a bit for some of the biological type subjects, but often for less than half the covered material in class. The notes in uni usually cover most of the things to learn, and unlike VCE, the uni textbooks have a lot of unexaminable content there since they are not specifically designed for the subject (I hear of a major subject in some other people doing my course where the material taught in lectures is just all of a textbook, but that is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule). I also couldn't be bothered finding up the page reference numbers for what to read, unlike in VCE where I simply read the physics and chem books from start to finish; all of the chem book and the physics book for the distinct chapters which covered the core content and the detailed study we were taught to do.
That said, I think reading the textbook is good at third year level. It seems that often the same textbooks were prescribed for second and third year level, and only a bit of it was used in second year and a lot more was used in third year. So I'll try to do that this semester. Hopefully that will integrate knowledge better.
Apart from that... interviews... one month to find out the result from USyd and see if I get a Melbourne interview. It would have been more comforting if I knew for sure that the UQ issue is resolved, but I don't know that. That said, the plan A has always been to get into the Melbourne Medicine course.
Anyway, so semester two. It's the final semester of biomed if all things go to plan. It is likely to be the semester where I go to an interview for UniMelb medicine. It is also during then that I'll know whether or not I have received medical school offers for USyd and UniMelb medicine, setting the path for the next four years ahead. And it will begin in three days. I hope for a good outcome.
Let the games begin!
Friday, July 15, 2011
[update] One month until mid-August: USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers
In about one month, it will be mid-August. That is when the USyd the main round of domestic medicine and dentistry offers are released, and when the GEMSAS/ACER interview offers will be released. Of course, I am hoping to get an offer at USyd, and I would be a bit disappointed if I didn't, but after all my first preference was always Melbourne. Either way, it will give me an indication of how much I must practice before the Melbourne interview which may turn up.
Anyway, semester two is just around the corner in a week an a half. Mid-August therefore lies in the fourth week of the semester, although if things are a bit early we may get the USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers late in the third week.
That wasn't much of a break really. It was filled with interruptions due to interview practice and having to go to Sydney to interview. That said, it was an experience that I think was invaluable. On the other hand, if the break was too long, I might have become bored with not much to do, which has happened in the past.
Ah well. One and a half weeks to semester two, and about a month until USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers, which hopefully will be a University of Melbourne one. After one and a half weeks, there's going to be study and interview practice ahead!
Anyway, semester two is just around the corner in a week an a half. Mid-August therefore lies in the fourth week of the semester, although if things are a bit early we may get the USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers late in the third week.
That wasn't much of a break really. It was filled with interruptions due to interview practice and having to go to Sydney to interview. That said, it was an experience that I think was invaluable. On the other hand, if the break was too long, I might have become bored with not much to do, which has happened in the past.
Ah well. One and a half weeks to semester two, and about a month until USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers, which hopefully will be a University of Melbourne one. After one and a half weeks, there's going to be study and interview practice ahead!
Friday, July 8, 2011
[update] Back home after the trip.
Today I have arrived back home after the USyd interview trip. Now the wait for the outcome really starts. The outcome is expected to be known in mid-August. About five weeks.
Given my position coming into the interview due to GAMSAT (83 overall), I would be a bit disappointed if I failed the interview. However, I think my score may be borderline, although I find it hard to judge how I went. Some stations went well, others not so. Just have to wait and see I guess. If it happened though, I guess it doesn't really matter, but it means I have not much of a safety net left, unless the UQ issue is really resolved (which may or may not be the case).
If I really wanted to go to USyd though, the prudent thing to do would be to neglect studying for my exams during the exam period (since I would have passed the 5.5 hurdle this year with passes in both semesters anyway) and just study up on the interview. However, that was not the plan. Since I do want to go to unimelb, GPA is good to focus on, given unimelb weights GPA in ranking and third year has the highest weighting in their GPA (unlike USyd, UQ which weight all years equally).
Anyway, the next main test on the horizon will be a likely Melbourne interview. Unlike USyd, unimelb's interview has no minimum pass mark, so that is good for me. I'll have to prepare for that before the midsem break of semester 2. Seems like quite a bit of time. In any case, I guess I have gained more interview experience from USyd which will hopefully help a bit.
That's about it for now. There seems to be about two weeks and two days left to the break. Then it'd be back to uni for semester two, with all the studying again, and with interview practice for unimelb (or some other uni in the unlikely case that the cutoffs rise that dramatically for unimelb) in between. Then I hope I can get an offer or two in that time before the end of the year.
Given my position coming into the interview due to GAMSAT (83 overall), I would be a bit disappointed if I failed the interview. However, I think my score may be borderline, although I find it hard to judge how I went. Some stations went well, others not so. Just have to wait and see I guess. If it happened though, I guess it doesn't really matter, but it means I have not much of a safety net left, unless the UQ issue is really resolved (which may or may not be the case).
If I really wanted to go to USyd though, the prudent thing to do would be to neglect studying for my exams during the exam period (since I would have passed the 5.5 hurdle this year with passes in both semesters anyway) and just study up on the interview. However, that was not the plan. Since I do want to go to unimelb, GPA is good to focus on, given unimelb weights GPA in ranking and third year has the highest weighting in their GPA (unlike USyd, UQ which weight all years equally).
Anyway, the next main test on the horizon will be a likely Melbourne interview. Unlike USyd, unimelb's interview has no minimum pass mark, so that is good for me. I'll have to prepare for that before the midsem break of semester 2. Seems like quite a bit of time. In any case, I guess I have gained more interview experience from USyd which will hopefully help a bit.
That's about it for now. There seems to be about two weeks and two days left to the break. Then it'd be back to uni for semester two, with all the studying again, and with interview practice for unimelb (or some other uni in the unlikely case that the cutoffs rise that dramatically for unimelb) in between. Then I hope I can get an offer or two in that time before the end of the year.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
[update] USyd interview complete...
I just completed my USyd interview recently. I could have done better. I wouldn't be surprised if I pass or failed. I hope I passed though, but if I failed, then I would be a bit disappointed, but I guess it is not too bad. At least I did get some practice before Melbourne's one.
I should have been more confident when they asked me whether I had more things to mention, and said no, instead of spending time being unsure about what to say. Ah well. Obviously I will not say what questions were asked here, as that is unethical and breaches the confidentiality agreement.
Anyway, I have visited the Reserve Bank of Australia like planned. I will be back home in a few days.
I hope everyone who has done interviews has gone well. Anyway, the computer here is running out of time now, so I'll talk later.
I should have been more confident when they asked me whether I had more things to mention, and said no, instead of spending time being unsure about what to say. Ah well. Obviously I will not say what questions were asked here, as that is unethical and breaches the confidentiality agreement.
Anyway, I have visited the Reserve Bank of Australia like planned. I will be back home in a few days.
I hope everyone who has done interviews has gone well. Anyway, the computer here is running out of time now, so I'll talk later.
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